Monday January 30, 2023
ABC Channel 10 —
Although the last 10 days have been dry, the drought monitor continues to show improvement in California.
A weak, quick-hitting system will drop down from Canada on Sunday. The system is very much moisture-parched and won’t bring much rain or snow to Northern California. Cold air will filter in on Sunday, as well, with temperatures not expected to escape the 40s for much of the valley.
The Sunday storm likely won’t affect the drought monitor, with less than a tenth of an inch of rain expected in the valley with 4-6 inches of snow likely in the mountains. The latest update dropped much of the Central Valley out of severe drought and into moderate drought along with placing much of the coast in the “abnormally dry” category. The Drought Score Index is 212, the lowest it has been since November 2020.
California has one of the most volatile hydrologic systems in the world, shifting from drought to flood in a matter of weeks. However, new tools are helping officials and water managers better control California’s waters.